UN Secretary-General's statement on 26th anniversary of Chernobyl Disaster
New York, 26 April 2012 - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl Disaster
Today marks the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the worst
nuclear power plant accident in history. On this occasion, we remember
the hundreds of emergency workers who risked their lives in responding
to the accident; the more than 330,000 people who were evacuated from
surrounding areas with little hope of return; the thousands of children
who later contracted thyroid cancer; and the six million people still
living in the affected areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation and
Ukraine.
As we pay our respects to the past, we also need to
take stock and look ahead. The United Nations is fully committed to the
Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development proclaimed by the
General Assembly for 2006-2016, and to the UN Action Plan on Chernobyl,
which contains a declaration of principles embraced by all UN agencies
involved in recovery efforts. The Action Plan emphasizes social and
economic development and the promotion of healthy lifestyles and
community self-reliance. In the remaining years of the Decade, the focus
will be on helping the targeted communities adapt to the conditions in
which they are living.
One year ago, the Secretary-General
visited the Chernobyl site and saw first hand the great resilience being
demonstrated by the affected people. At the Kiev Summit on Safe and
Innovative Use of Nuclear Energy, the international community
highlighted the importance of strengthening the global nuclear safety
regime. The urgency of that work was underscored by the nuclear
accident in Fukushima nuclear power plant last year. The Seoul Nuclear
Security Summit also recognized the need to increase synergy between
nuclear safety and nuclear security.
The Secretary-General
calls again on the international community to generously support
Chernobyl-affected regions as they continue their longstanding efforts
towards recovery and normalcy.
